Former British number one Elena Baltacha has announced her retirement from tennis with immediate effect.

The 30-year-old, who won 11 singles titles, reached the third round of Wimbledon in 2002 and the same stage of the Australian Open, in 2005 and 2010.

The Scot reached a career-high ranking of 49 in 2010, but struggled with injury and illness during her career.

"My body has taken such a bruising over the last 16 years and that's finally taken its toll," she said.

"I have had some amazing experiences through playing tennis - some incredible highs and some very low lows - and I wouldn't change any of them but now my mind and my body are telling me it's time to move on to a new phase of my life."

Baltacha now plans to dedicate herself to coaching and developing the academy she founded in 2012 with her coach Nino Severino.

"I still absolutely love tennis and I want to take that passion and put it into learning to be the best coach I can be so that I can take all my experiences as a player and use that to help develop the next generation of British tennis players," she added.

"We believe that no matter what background you are from, that all children, rich or poor, should have the opportunity to play tennis. Hopefully we'll produce a champion one day."

So sorry to see such a determined and gutsy player like Elena go but I wish her good health and every success in the future with her coaching and her academy.

Me too Aileen. I've always admired Elena's fight and determination in the face of the injury and illness setbacks she had in her career. It was great to see her get into the top 50 - her success has no doubt helped Laura and Heather to break through in recent years.

I'm sure she'll be a really good coach and that young players will learn a lot from her experiences on the tour.

The ATP has announced the appointment of Chris Kermode as ATP Executive Chairman & President. Kermode begins a three-year term at the helm of the ATP starting on 1 January 2014, and will be based in the ATP’s London office.

Kermode has been involved in tennis for more than 30 years, first as a player, and then most recently serving as Tournament Director of the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, as well as Managing Director of the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Regarded as the ATP’s crown jewel, the tournament has welcomed more than 1.28m fans to The O2 arena in London over the past five years.

“It’s a huge honour to have been given the opportunity to lead the ATP during what is unquestionably one of the most exciting periods in the history of men’s professional tennis,” said Kermode. “I look forward to getting started in my new role, and to working very hard together with ATP staff, players, tournaments and partners as we look to harness the full potential of our great sport in years to come.”

Kermode’s wealth of knowledge of all facets of men’s professional tennis, as well as his vast experience working with all of the sport’s key stakeholders, made him a unanimous choice by the ATP Board of Directors. The appointment brings to a close a thorough search process undertaken by the ATP Board, with the assistance of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles.

Roger Federer, President of the ATP Player Council, said, "On behalf of the players, I am delighted to welcome Chris as our new ATP Executive Chairman & President. Chris has a lot of experience having worked in a number of different capacities in tennis over the years and he has all the attributes required to lead the ATP World Tour forward during this period of unprecedented popularity and success."

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray said, “I’ve known and worked with Chris for many years and he gets on well with the players. He's done a great job with Queen’s and the World Tour Finals and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Mark Webster, ATP Board Tournament Representative, said, “Chris’s experience in the sports and entertainment industry, his business acumen and his established relationships in tennis make him the perfect candidate to lead the ATP. He has a proven track record in the game and we look forward to him bringing his many attributes to the table in his new role as ATP Executive Chairman & President.”

Justin Gimelstob, ATP Board Player Representative, said, “We are excited to welcome Chris as our new Executive Chairman and President. As a Board, our focus was on finding the best possible candidate who has an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of our sport and who can build on the successes achieved in recent years. We have full confidence that in Chris, we have found a person who can lead our organization and continue the growth of the ATP World Tour.”

Following his career as a professional player, Kermode worked as one of London’s top tennis coaches. He went on to work in both the film and music industries, starting his own promotion & events company, before returning to tennis. Kermode has served as Managing Director of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals since 2008.

Hugh MacdonaldChief Sports WriterMonday 25 November 2013ROSS HUTCHINS, who has spent more than a year out of tennis since being diagnosed with cancer, will make his grand-slam return to the sport in Australia in January.Colin Fleming, left, and Ross Hutchins. Picture: Getty Images

Colin Fleming, his Scottish doubles partner, said yesterday the 28-year-old Englishman is back in full training and the pair will travel to Spain next month for an intensive block before travelling to the Australian Open. Hutchins was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma a year ago, but it is now in remission.

Fleming, 29, said: "Ross has fully recovered and has been training for some time. We will be back on court in the first week of the new year."

The pair will be in the main draw of the Australian Open as Hutchins' ranking has been protected because of his illness. "We will not be seeded but we aim to be the dark horses," said Fleming, in Glasgow for a training session at the Western Tennis Club in Hyndland with prizewinners in the McCrea West End tournament for children. "I will be training with him next week in London and he will go out to Miami with Andy [Murray], then we will do a week in Spain and head off to Australia."

Fleming added: "It is an amazing recovery. Ross has his strength back, got the life back in him and he looks superb. He is playing really well too. It is as if he has never been away. Ross is always very motivated but his illness has multiplied that, he is so fired up and ready to make the most of any opportunities. It has given that bit of perspective. It is inspirational for me too."

Hutchins' diagnosis came last November as the pair were completing their training for the 2013 season.

The partnership was on the verge of breaking into the top eight in the world. They were the alternates at the 2012 Barclays ATP World Tour finals at the O2 in London and have set a return to that venue as playing participants as their goal for next season. "We have not played together for more than year competitively and I am really excited about being back on court together," Fleming said.

The partnership has the short-term goal of playing well in Melbourne but Fleming believes both he and Hutchins have the potential to make an impact at the very top of the game.

"We are hugely ambitious and we want to win a grand slam," he said. "If that happened then we would want to push on and be the world's No.1 doubles team."

He added: "We have great one-off results that show we can play at the top level. There are immediate goals but the way Ross is playing there is no reason why we cannot aim for London next year."